1. Resume “Cheat Sheet”
Adopted from Education Pioneers
Content:
Show, Don’t Tell: Sharing how you previously solved similar problems shows your track record
of success in that field. Showing examples of specific skills and the outputs and outcomes you
achieved from applying them is much more helpful than simply telling the reader what the
inputs you were responsible for. Use quantitative data, when you can!
Be Specific: Even when outcomes aren’t apparent, you can show the breadth of your work by
adding details. A resume is a marketing document, designed to sell your skills and
accomplishments.
o For example, if you were responsible for managing a budget, share the amounts of
funds or percentage of the organizational budget you managed to provide the reader
with a greater understanding of your personal responsibility.
Show Your Leadership: Leadership comes in forms other than honors and accolades. Using
verbs like “managed,” “led,” and “created” can show your ownership and influence on a work
stream. In addition, use examples that will illustrate universally sought cultural competencies
like collaboration.
Highlight Your Social Impact Experience: Whether you have previous work experience in
education or you are coming from the private sector, it is important to show your interest in
social impact or change. Be sure to include any work you have done to support a nonprofit or
school, even if you were a volunteer. If you are a member of a group’s board, include any
fundraising work or event organization you’ve participated in.
Use Accessible Language: Craft your resume for a general audience. Anyone should be able to
look at your resume and have a clear picture of your experience and interests. Avoid jargon or
terminology that is not widely recognized outside of your sector.
If You Are a Former Educator, Highlight Your Non-Instructional Experience: If you are a former
educator, highlight your non-instructional responsibilities and your experience outside of the
classroom. For example, if you were a teacher for three years and then moved into a role
outside of the classroom as a school operations director, focus on your experience managing
school operations. Ensure that you align your transferable skills to job functions to clearly
illustrate your experience in each.
Formatting & Length:
Keep it in Reverse Chronological Order: There are lots of different ways to organize the
information on your resume, but reverse chronological (where your most recent experience is
listed first) is your best bet. If you are creating a skills-based resume to highlight a specific skill-
set, keep aligned roles in reverse chronological order.
o For example, a former teacher may separate teaching experience from other
professional experiences, each skill-based section should present in reverse
chronological order.

2. Keep it to a Page: You want the information in your resume to be concise and clear. Keeping
yourself to a one-page maximum is a good way to force yourself to only keep the most relevant
information on your resume.
Proofread: Your resume is an example of your writing ability. Use active language, write in a
style that is easy to follow, and avoid including irrelevant information; as you re-read your
resume, make sure that every single word is important to the message that you are trying to
communicate. Don’t forget to proofread! Also, remember that fancy fonts and pictures can
detract from the more important part of your resume: your job narrative.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):
1. Do I really have to make my resume one page long?
The earlier you are in your career, the more important it is to keep your resume to one page.
Only when you are applying for senior-level positions (Director, VP, C-Suite, etc.) should you
consider venturing beyond this. The goal of a one page resume is to give the reviewer a one-
page summary of your most important and most relevant accomplishments. Use your resume as
a tool to help the hiring manager see why they would want to interview you for the role for
which you are applying.
2. What tips do you have for keeping my resume to a page?
Create a complete resume that includes all the education and experience you would
ever consider putting on a resume. This resume is likely 2-3 pages.
Cut any part-time, short-term jobs, or volunteer experiences that are not relevant to
your current search (e.g. retail, hospitality, and other service positions).
Cut any references – they will most likely be requested separately.
Cut any information about presentations or research papers that you’ve written. – if it is
not relevant to the job position you are applying to.
If you have more than 3+ years of work experience, cut out anything about college
unless it is really impactful or extremely relevant. More than likely, your work
experience is more germane than your leadership as a student.
If you have multiple positions at the same organization combine those under one
heading to save space.
If you have similar work experience at multiple jobs, include the experience that is more
relevant and/or recent, and edit the other down to include less detail.
Cut any unnecessary words, particularly unspecific descriptors. This will make your
resume more readable and shorter in length.

3. 8 Resume Tips For New Job Seekers
For the current college student, recent graduate or entry-level applicant, we’ve gathered a few
crucial tips on how to craft a standout resume.
By
The TFA Editorial Team
Friday, April 15, 2016
1. Always Target
A well-tailored resume shows your interest in a company and will benefit you when you apply
to jobs and internships through online systems that focus on keywords.
The key is to incorporate specific phrases in the job description throughout your resume where
it makes sense. For example, if your dream job has you working with Hootsuite you'll want to
mention that in your Experience or Skills section.
2. Length
Keep your resume to one page for an entry-level position. To save space, remove references
and recommendations, including "references available upon request." If an employer is
interested, they’ll ask for them after your interview. And, thankfully, high school is past you, so
you can and should delete any mention of it.
3. Format
After applying somewhere, a resume is cut and pasted, inputted into databases, uploaded into
PDFs; you name it. Don’t let it get lost. Make it easy on the eyes by staying within 12pt and 14pt
font sizes and bump your name up to 30pt so employers know who you are. Also, be sure and
stick with the most compatible fonts such as New Roman, Calibri, Georgia, and Sans-Serif.
(Extra credit: friends don’t let friends over use Comic Sans.)
4. Contact Information
Street address? Not now with identity theft. Instead, replace it with your personalized LinkedIn
URL. A recent Jobvite social recruiting study found that 93% of recruiters search for a
candidate's social media accounts. Don't let them fill in the blanks.
As for the rest, a phone number and email address work best. Just remember to keep it
professional because chances are Kooldood92@gmail.com may not get you that interview.
5. Objective
Most of the time, only the top third of your resume is seen. Make it count by adding a
thoughtful and targeted objective. “Seeking an entry-level position at an exciting company” will
get you looked over. “New graduate seeking entry-level software engineering roles for the fall
of 2016” is concise, specific, and stands out.
• Executive Statement via Business Insider
“Replace your fluffy statement with an executive summary, which should be like a "30-
second elevator pitch" where you explain who you are and what you're looking for. "In
approximately three to five sentences, explain what you’re great at, most interested in,
and how you can provide value to a prospective employer," Augustine says.”
Link: http://www.businessinsider.com/why-this-is-an-excellent-resume-2013-11
6. Education
As a new graduate, this is your section to shine and show employers that although you may not
have the professional experience yet, you have the background and potential to go places.

4. Describe relevant courses, majors, and projects that directly apply to the job description. For
students not yet graduated, be sure to include your graduation date. As for your GPA, the
general rule of thumb is only to include it if it’s above 3.3.
7. Experience
Don’t worry. You have more experience than you think, and as a new grad, the majority of your
experience will be found at the top of your resume under “Education.”
As for your “Experience” or “Relevant Experience”, this isn’t the place to list your summer job
at Smoothie King. Instead, prioritize and put any job-related extracurricular activities,
internships, volunteer work, course work, and scholarships here.
Employers know when a résumé is padded. Be thoughtful. Add in extra details like the size of a
Fortune 500 organization you interned for or how many students got awarded your particular
scholarship.
8. Grammar
Proofread. Proofread. Proofread. There is no greater heartbreak than discovering you applied
to eight places all while missing the first letter of your email. Either print out your resume to
read it over, let someone you trust look it over, or take it by your school’s writing center.
What to avoid:
- Using personal pronouns or articles (“I” or “me”)
- Abbreviating rather than writing out the full name of organizations
- Placing dates out of order – experience should be listed in reverse chronological order
so most recent work is seen first
- Remember if you are currently
Noteworthy resume faux pas include using personal pronouns or articles (“I” or “me”),
abbreviating rather than writing out the full name of organizations, placing dates out of order,
and listing your current experience in the past tense instead of present.

5. List of Action Verbs for Resumes & Professional Profiles
1 of 2
Management/
Leadership Skills
administered
analyzed
appointed
approved
assigned
attained
authorized
chaired
considered
consolidated
contracted
controlled
converted
coordinated
decided
delegated
developed
directed
eliminated
emphasized
enforced
enhanced
established
executed
generated
handled
headed
hired
hosted
improved
incorporated
increased
initiated
inspected
instituted
led
managed
merged
motivated
organized
originated
overhauled
oversaw
planned
presided
prioritized
produced
recommended
reorganized
replaced
restored
reviewed
scheduled streamlined
strengthened
supervised
terminated
Communication/
People Skills
addressed
advertised
arbitrated
arranged
articulated
authored
clarified
collaborated
communicated
composed
condensed
conferred
consulted
contacted
conveyed
convinced
corresponded
debated
defined
described
developed
directed
discussed
drafted
edited
elicited
enlisted
explained
expressed
formulated
furnished
incorporated
influenced
interacted
interpreted
interviewed
involved
joined
judged
lectured
listened
marketed
mediated
moderated
negotiated
observed
outlined
participated
persuaded
presented
promoted
proposed
publicized
reconciled
recruited
referred
reinforced
reported
resolved
responded
solicited
specified
spoke
suggested
summarized
synthesized
translated
wrote
Research Skills
analyzed
clarified
collected compared
conducted
critiqued
detected
determined
diagnosed
evaluated
examined
experimented
explored
extracted
formulated
gathered
identified
inspected
interpreted
interviewed
invented
investigated
located
measured
organized
researched
searched
solved
summarized
surveyed
systematized
tested
Technical Skills
adapted
assembled
built
calculated
computed
conserved
constructed
converted
debugged
designed
determined
developed
engineered
fabricated
fortified
installed
maintained
operated
overhauled
printed
programmed
rectified
regulated
remodeled
repaired
replaced
restored
solved
specialized
standardized
studied
upgraded
utilized
Teaching Skills
adapted
advised
clarified
coached
communicated
conducted
coordinated
critiqued
developed
enabled
encouraged
evaluated
explained
facilitated
focused
guided
individualized
informed
instilled
instructed
motivated
persuaded
set goals
simulated
stimulated

6. List of Action Verbs for Resumes & Professional Profiles
2 of 2
taught
tested
trained
transmitted
tutored
Financial/
Data Skills
administered
adjusted
allocated
analyzed
appraised
assessed
audited
balanced
calculated
computed
conserved
corrected
determined
developed
estimated
forecasted
managed
marketed
measured
planned
programmed
projected
reconciled
reduced
researched
retrieved
creative skills
acted
adapted
began
combined
conceptualized
condensed
created
customized
designed
developed
directed
displayed
drew
entertained
established
fashioned
formulated
founded
illustrated
initiated
instituted
integrated
introduced
invented
modeled
modified
originated
performed
photographed
planned
revised
revitalized
shaped
solved
Helping skills
adapted
advocated
aided
answered
arranged
assessed
assisted
cared for
clarified
coached
collaborated
contributed
cooperated
counseled
demonstrated
diagnosed
educated
encouraged
ensured
expedited
facilitated
familiarize
furthered
guided
helped
insured
intervened
motivated
provided
referred
rehabilitated
presented
resolved
simplified
supplied
supported
volunteered
Organization/
Detail Skills
approved
arranged
cataloged
categorized
charted
classified
coded
collected
compiled
corresponded
distributed
executed
filed
generated
implemented
incorporated
inspected
logged
maintained
monitored
obtained
operated
ordered
organized
prepared
processed
provided
purchased
recorded
registered
reserved
responded
reviewed
routed
scheduled
screened
set up
submitted
supplied
standardized
systematized
updated
validated
verified
More verbs for
Accomplishments
achieved
completed
expanded
exceeded
improved
pioneered
reduced (losses)
resolved (issues)
restored
spearheaded
succeeded
surpassed
transformed
won

7. Prepping for the Job Search Tool
Task: _________________________________________________________________________
(Specific application, resume, interview, or event you are preparing for)
1. Below list all skills, experiences/accomplishments, and traits you think are valuable and worth
highlighting for the task.
Skills Experiences/Accomplishments Traits
2. Think from the audience’s standpoint – what traits/skills/experiences are they going to want to see? (It
can be useful to look at mission statements, job descriptions, and organization websites when to help
inform this process)
Highlight these on your list, if you think of some that aren’t on your list, add them in a different
color ink.
3. Now that you have a combined list of things you think are important to highlight and things that the
audience will find important, read through each column and pick 3 that are most important. Put a star
next to them.

8. 4. For the three most important SKILLS think of one or two examples of how you’ve demonstrated that
skill (best if within a professional setting). Write them below
Skill: _______________________________
Example 1 -
Example 2 –
Skill: _______________________________
Example 1 -
Example 2 -
Skill: _______________________________
Example 1 -
Example 2 -
5. For each of the three most notable EXPERIENCES/ACCOMPLISHMENTS think of one or two
questions/skills that they relate to or answer.
Experience/Accomplishment:
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Skill/Question 1 -
Skill/Question 2 –
Experience/Accomplishment:
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Skill/Question 1 -